Overweight Child: Promoting Fitness and Self-Esteem

Children, like adults, come in all shapes and sizes. Some are short, some are tall, some are thin and some are not. Because of society's obsession with thinness, being larger-than-average is difficult for youth. Most children are teased about something, and probably nothing hurts more than being teased about weight. It's painful for parents to see their child's self-esteem

Children, like adults, come in all shapes and sizes. Some are short, some are tall, some are thin and some are not. Because of society's obsession with thinness, being larger-than-average is difficult for youth. Most children are teased about something, and probably nothing hurts more than being teased about weight. It's painful for parents to see their child's self-esteem suffer, while they worry about the result of extra weight on their child's health.

Parents can help overweight children cope by increasing their child's overall fitness level through healthy eating and added activity. Dieting and strict fitness regimes, which can be extremely difficult to impose on a child, are not the answer. Bolstering the child's self-esteem and to develop a positive body image no matter what size is the most important task.

In The Over weight Child, Teresa Pitman and Dr. Miriam Kaufman, provide practical advice for parents and caregivers of overweight children. The authors examine the link between television and weight gain, offer suggestions for coping with teasing and negative feelings, outline kid-tested ways to improve fitness for the entire family, and even include recipes that everyone in the family can enjoy.